100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ

Overnight NZ-wide delivery on in-stock orders πŸš€

Voyagers

The Settlement of the Pacific
3.54 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 404 ratings, 44 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Voyagers by Nicholas Thomas offers a fascinating exploration of the Pacific Ocean's historical narratives, focusing on the migration patterns of its indigenous peoples. It delves into the remarkable journeys of early navigators, highlighting their innovative seafaring techniques and cultural exchanges. This book provides a deep insight into the resilience and ingenuity that shaped the intricate human history of the Pacific islands.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$4499
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you are fascinated by the daring spirit of human exploration and the rich histories of Pacific Island cultures. Nicholas Thomas delves into the intrepid journeys of the oceanic voyagers, blending historical inquiry with vivid storytelling, making it a captivating read for enthusiasts of history and exploration alike.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

The extraordinary sixty-thousand-year history of how the Pacific islands were settled.

The extraordinary sixty-thousand-year history of how the Pacific islands were settled.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The extraordinary sixty-thousand-year history of how the Pacific islands were settled.

'Takes readers on a narrative odyssey' - Wall Street Journal, Books of the Year

'Highlights a dizzying burst of new research' - The Economist

'A refreshing addition to the canon of literature that contemplates Oceanic navigation' - Noelle Kahanu

'I would not be surprised if, after reading this masterpiece, many readers are compelled to take up voyaging themselves' - Science Magazine

Thousands of islands, inhabited by a multitude of different peoples, are scattered across the vastness of the Pacific. The first European explorers to visit Oceania, from the sixteenth century on, were astounded and perplexed to find populations thriving so many miles from the nearest continents. Who were these people and where did they come from?

In Voyagers, the distinguished anthropologist Nicholas Thomas charts the course of the seaborne migrations that populated the islands between Asia and the Americas. Drawing on the latest research, including insights gained from linguistics, archaeology, and the re-enactment of voyages, Thomas provides a dazzling account of these long-distance migrations, the sea-going technologies that enabled them, and the societies that they left in their wake.

Series: The Landmark Library

View all
  • Magna Carta
    A beautifully produced account of the signing, impact, and legacy of Magna Carta, a document that became one of the most influential statements in the history of democracy, as part of the stunning landmark library series. On a summer's day in 1215, a beleaguered English monarch met a group of disgruntled barons in a meadow by the river Thames named...
    Paperback
    $3400
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Voyagers
    The extraordinary sixty-thousand-year history of how the Pacific islands were settled. 'Takes readers on a narrative odyssey' - Wall Street Journal, Books of the Year 'Highlights a dizzying burst of new research' - The Economist 'A refreshing addition to the canon of literature that contemplates Oceanic navigation' - Noelle Kahanu 'I would not be surprised if, after reading this masterpiece,...
    Paperback
    $4499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Magna Carta
    A beautifully produced account of the signing, impact and legacy of Magna Carta, a document that became one of the most influential statements in the history of democracy, as part of the stunning landmark library series. On a summer's day in 1215 a beleaguered English monarch met a group of disgruntled barons in a meadow by the river Thames named...
    Paperback
    $2699
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Voyagers
    The extraordinary sixty-thousand-year history of how the Pacific islands were settled. Takes readers on a narrative odyssey Wall Street Journal, Books of the Year Highlights a dizzying burst of new research The Economist A refreshing addition to the canon of literature that contemplates Oceanic navigation Noelle Kahanu I would not be surprised if, after reading this masterpiece, many readers are...
    Hardback
    $3799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Stonehenge
    A beautifully illustrated account of the history and archaeology of an iconic feature of the English landscape, as part of the stunning Landmark Library series. Perched on the chalk uplands of Salisbury Plain, the megaliths of Stonehenge offer one of the most recognisable outlines of any ancient structure. Its purposeβ€”place of worship, sacrificial arena, giant calendarβ€”is unknown, but its story...
    Paperback
    $2699
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Voyagers by Nicholas Thomas is praised for weaving material culture with personal anecdotes to illuminate Oceanic exploration. Critics highlight its engaging narrative and suggest it provokes readers to explore further, appreciated for blending ethnohistory and modern scientific insights. The book is celebrated for its engaging and accessible portrayal of the historical Odyssey across the Pacific, combined with reflections on indigenous technologies and navigational skills.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781803284637

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 07 July 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Apollo

Illustration: 35 integrated colour

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 16.0mm

Width: 134.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 381g

Pages: 228

About the Author

Nick Thomas is an Australian anthropologist, who was co-curator of the Royal Academy exhibition Oceania. He is Professor of Historical Anthropology, Director of the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge, and has been a Fellow of Trinity College since 2007. He was awarded the 2010 Wolfson History Prize for Islanders: The Pacific in the Age of Empire.

Also by Nicholas Thomas

View all
  • Possessions
    A timely re-examination of European engagements with indigenous art and the presence of indigenous art in the contemporary art world. The arts of Africa, Oceania and native America famously inspired twentieth-century modernist artists such as Picasso, Matisse and Ernst. The politics of such stimulus, however, have long been highly contentious: was this a cross-cultural discovery to be celebrated, or just...
    Hardback
    $8500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Islanders
    An incisive, evocative history of the experience of empire in the Oceanic world This compelling book explores the lived experience of empire in the Pacific, the last region to be contacted and colonised by Europeans following the great voyages of Captain Cook. Unlike conventional accounts that emphasise confrontation and the destruction of indigenous cultures, Islanders reveals there was gain as...
    Paperback
    $4099
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Oceanic Art
    The dazzling colours and patterns of the art of the Pacific Islands have long entranced Western audiences, not least artists such as Gauguin and Picasso. The tendency has been to regard Oceanic art as 'primitive', mysterious and shrouded in taboo. However, Nicholas Thomas, in looking at and beyond the familiar, stunning surfaces of masks and shields, carved canoe prows and...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Towards Inclusive Social Policies?
    Towards Inclusive Social Policies? focuses on both the attitudinal and institutional repercussions of the pandemic, while transcending Western-centric narratives and study cases. This book asks the question: has the COVID-19 pandemic facilitated the adoption of more generous and inclusive social policies in Southeast Asia?
    Paperback
    $8200
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Voyagers
    The extraordinary sixty-thousand-year history of how the Pacific islands were settled. Takes readers on a narrative odyssey Wall Street Journal, Books of the Year Highlights a dizzying burst of new research The Economist A refreshing addition to the canon of literature that contemplates Oceanic navigation Noelle Kahanu I would not be surprised if, after reading this masterpiece, many readers are...
    Hardback
    $3799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Melanesia
    The British Museum's uniquely important Melanesian collection is pre-eminent among early collections, and the 20,000 items it comprises are core to understanding the cultures of the western Pacific. The extraordinary art styles represented, from groups such as New Guinea, New Ireland, and the Solomon Islands and relating to ancestors, family and clan, houses, feasting, and festivals, are of interest not...
    Hardback
    Sold Out
  • Gauguin and Polynesia
    The Post-Impressionist artist and writer Paul Gauguin led an extraordinary, troubled, and restlessly itinerant life. He came late to painting and spent most of his last decade in the Pacific islands of Tahiti and the Marquesas. There, he produced paintings loosely based on Polynesian tradition that heralded the emergence of primitivism and would exert a profound influence on modernist artists...
    Hardback
    Sold Out

More from History & Military

View all
  • Saving Elli
    One child. Two years in hiding. Three lives in mortal danger. In Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, near Anne Frank's house, another Jewish girl is hidden. Her name is Elli. Her father has been executed at Mauthausen concentration camp. Her mother is fleeing for her life. Elli is next. To save her, resistance couple Frits and Jo Hakkens must risk everything, concealing her...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Spy and the Traitor
    The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre is a spellbinding Cold War thriller that unravels the true story of Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB double agent who risked everything to aid the British in the battle against Soviet oppression. In meticulously researched detail, Macintyre paints a vivid portrait of espionage, double-crossing, and unparalleled bravery, giving readers a riveting glimpse into...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Suicidal Empathy
    The bestselling author of The Parasitic Mind shows why empathy in politics leads to civilizational collapse. What happens when a society elevates victimhood to a virtue and decides that punishment is cruel? You get the disease Dr. Gad Saad calls suicidal empathy. And the West may be terminally infected. In his new book, Suicidal Empathy, Saad unleashes a blistering critique...
    Paperback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Man's Search For Meaning
    Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl is a profound, thought-provoking memoir and psychological exploration that delves into the harrowing experiences of life in Nazi concentration camps, intertwined with the author’s groundbreaking theories on existential psychology. The book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, offering a beacon of hope and a roadmap for finding purpose...
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Betrayal
    β€˜Tom Bower is the Inspector Morse of investigative biographers, a fluent, phlegmatic storyteller and a master of intricacies.’ Sunday Times The British Crown is in crisis, with constitutional threats at home and abroad. At a landmark moment in royal history, can King Charles overcome the scandals that blight the Royal family? Can the broken bonds between the Houses of Sussex...
    Paperback
    $3499
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Signed
    New Release
    The Chief and the Empire
    The Chief and the Empire uncovers the extraordinary true tale of Te Tai Tokerau rangatira Te Pahi - the first influential Māori leader to cross the Tasman - whose curiosity about the Pākehā world forged alliances, saved lives, and ultimately cost him his own. On a visit to Sydney in 1805, Te Pahi was feted as a celebrity, building close...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Discipline
    Silence is complicity, but how do we confront the cost of speaking up? Sydney, May 2021. Ashraf is an academic whose career and personal life are in freefall. Hannah is a young journalist struggling to honour the voices of her community. When a Year 12 Al-Bayinnah College student is arrested for protesting a university's ties to an Israeli weapons manufacturer,...
    Paperback
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Shattered Lands
    'A sparkling debut by an outstanding young historian' – PETER FRANKOPAN 'This book is a revelation … both original and important' – MISHAL HUSAIN A history of modern South Asia told through five partitions that reshaped it. As recently as 1928, a vast swathe of Asia – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan, Yemen, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and...
    Paperback
    $3699
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Goliath’s Curse
    Goliath’s Curse by Luke Kemp offers a radical retelling of human history through the lens of collapse, delving into what this means for our uncertain future. This narrative spans from the dawn of our species to the urgent existential threats of the twenty-first century and beyond. It's grounded in the latest research and a comprehensive database of more than 440...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    The Good Settler
    β€˜Where once I saw a view as I drove around the Taranaki coast along State Highway 45, I now see confiscated land from an invasion road. The creation story I used to subscribe to, the one in which hard-working people came here and settled the land, now jars. Weirdly, even the lawn looks different. The form of things just won’t...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Banjara
    A powerful literary debut from an astonishing new Kiwi voice, focusing on the Indo-Fijian indenture system and how it affected generations across the Pacific.Rajasthan 1888: Avani Rathod, a nomad of the Banjara community, is summoned to teach a blue-eyed colonial officer the trees of her region, but instead is misled into indenture to the sugarcane plantations of Fiji. While on...
    Paperback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • This Way Up
    The debut book from the YouTube sensation and all-round cartographical nerds, The Map Men! In their long-awaited debut, YouTube’s Map Men bring their highly infectious enthusiasm for everything map-related to the printed page for the very first time, in a brilliantly entertaining and eye-catching tome. Packed with humour and fascinating facts, This Way Up takes a deep dive into the...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.